I'm from Fredericksburg, VA, and as of 7 PM last evening the entire 103.5 WTOP listening area was issued a winter storm warning, predicting 1-2 feet of snow, the highest average of snowfall per hour falling in points south of Washington, DC. That would be Fredericksburg.
Thank heaven for interrupted days--time out to just hole up and do things out of the ordinary. I re-watched the movie Julie and Julia (bordering a little on obsessed with this movie, I know), and so I was re-inspired to continue blogging about doing what I love.
Today I am working on my cello teaching portfolio, blog networking, and trying to figure out how to get myself on the first page of Google when people type in "musician Fredericksburg," "music teacher Fredericksburg," or something along those lines. Any tips would be welcome.
I'm also in sore need of a laptop. The term "starving artist" is exceptionally appropriate in my case, and although I'm happy and have little to complain about, I realize the very practical necessity of having a technological means by which to make myself known to the area public.
So another one of my holiday projects is figuring out how to finance a new computer. My use of the computer is limited to the very basest form: e-mail, facebook, and blogging...so a very bottom of the line-yet functional machine will suffice.
I do shy away from Dell, although I know it's probably the cheapest; my first laptop, a Dell notebook crashed twice within three months. My current IBM Thinkpad technically works, but half of the screen is a distorted mess, and it regularly freezes.
Speaking of freezing, I am looking outside and the white inches are sticking to the tree branches in the loveliest way. Beethoven's birthday was this week, December 16...happy birthday, Mr. Ludwig. I celebrated by driving back and forth from my day job faithfully listening to classical 90.9, which played only Beethoven compositions on the day.
So, snow, Beethoven, and boring practical needs are all on my mind. I do not intend to twitter the day away dreaming about them, but fortunately for me, the weather interruption enables just a bit more twittering than usual.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Inspired
I found out about Nita Van Der Walt through a friend who clipped a newspaper article out about her. Once a traveling teacher (as I am), providing private musical instruction in students' homes, she now owns a studio and lives in Fredericksburg. I included the article (click on her name above) for your reading enjoyment.
I am inspired because I am really doing the same thing that Nita did when she started out. A "traveling teacher," I hope to have my own studio one day with many students, and to provide excellent instruction not only in cello and voice, but to hire professors of many musical instruments.
And it's so doable, especially for me. My current "day job" is a great help to me--I work for a Christian internship for young people--I oversee the cooking and budgeting part of the internship...I have shared with my employers this vision, and they are enthusiastic about it for me. How many people in Corporate America can say that their employers were excited for their employees' ventures out of Corporate America and into private enterprise?
But my ultimate goal is to pursue music as my livelihood. It will be a great triumph to say that I truly did what I love with my life. I think many talented musicians really have an opportunity to do this...I know that in my case, for 28 years I did not feel I was equipped or capable--but the big question that slapped me across the face as I began to approach 30 was, "Why not?"
I am inspired because I am really doing the same thing that Nita did when she started out. A "traveling teacher," I hope to have my own studio one day with many students, and to provide excellent instruction not only in cello and voice, but to hire professors of many musical instruments.
And it's so doable, especially for me. My current "day job" is a great help to me--I work for a Christian internship for young people--I oversee the cooking and budgeting part of the internship...I have shared with my employers this vision, and they are enthusiastic about it for me. How many people in Corporate America can say that their employers were excited for their employees' ventures out of Corporate America and into private enterprise?
But my ultimate goal is to pursue music as my livelihood. It will be a great triumph to say that I truly did what I love with my life. I think many talented musicians really have an opportunity to do this...I know that in my case, for 28 years I did not feel I was equipped or capable--but the big question that slapped me across the face as I began to approach 30 was, "Why not?"
Title...why
I confess I gave my blog the very vanilla title, "Community Musicians," because I wanted to maximize readership and hope that I can find a community out there of people just like me with which to share thoughts and daily life as "normal people" who are also musicians.
My name is Rebekah, I'm 29 years old, and before any other title, I consider myself to be a musician. I did not major in music in college, but I have gone far with it...I have a background in classical music--my main instrument is the cello, and I also sing and play the piano, and a little guitar. My greatest musical inspiration as a child was Maria Von Trapp, and as an adult, James Taylor (he was a cellist before he was a guitarist).
Seeing as music has not been my primary source of income, most would classify my love of music a "hobby," a title which is horrifying to me. The word "hobby" seems sophomoric--something one would put on a dating website or job application; to me, music is my love, my breath, my expression.
OK, I'm getting carried away. But I recently watched Julie and Julia, the movie based on a woman's blog journal as she cooked her way through the Julia Child cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and was inspired to branch out a little from my normal day to day life, and to begin to write about what I love, and see where it takes me.
This blog is for those who, like me, live ordinary lives, but wish above anything else to be first and foremost a musician. I teach the cello and a little voice, and am working toward building a business out of it. But more than anything I want to share with you the love I have for music, and hope to hear from you as well.
My name is Rebekah, I'm 29 years old, and before any other title, I consider myself to be a musician. I did not major in music in college, but I have gone far with it...I have a background in classical music--my main instrument is the cello, and I also sing and play the piano, and a little guitar. My greatest musical inspiration as a child was Maria Von Trapp, and as an adult, James Taylor (he was a cellist before he was a guitarist).
Seeing as music has not been my primary source of income, most would classify my love of music a "hobby," a title which is horrifying to me. The word "hobby" seems sophomoric--something one would put on a dating website or job application; to me, music is my love, my breath, my expression.
OK, I'm getting carried away. But I recently watched Julie and Julia, the movie based on a woman's blog journal as she cooked her way through the Julia Child cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and was inspired to branch out a little from my normal day to day life, and to begin to write about what I love, and see where it takes me.
This blog is for those who, like me, live ordinary lives, but wish above anything else to be first and foremost a musician. I teach the cello and a little voice, and am working toward building a business out of it. But more than anything I want to share with you the love I have for music, and hope to hear from you as well.
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